A friend is calling this year the drama queen year. Record snowfalls in December. Near-record rainfall in June. Extremely warm temperatures in January and May and especially low ones in February. And right along with that, plants are taller and bearing more fruit. Julie Folta says her potato plants are almost five feet tall. Unfortunately, the plants’ energy may have gone into leaves rather than potatoes. Julie says the spuds are quite small.
There seems to be an uptick in eagles. During a spring bird count during the eulachon run, I counted 600 between Pyramid Island and Jones Point. That’s quite a bit above the average, 400. Eagle eggs at Chilkoot hatched this year on June 15. How can you tell if eggs have hatched? Eagles, which return to their nests in April, lie on their chests over their eggs, low like a duck, with only the tops of their heads visible for about a month. Then one day, the adult on duty pops up, calls for his or her mate, and they watch intently for an hour or two. That is the day eggs hatch. Eaglets are gray and downy and cannot stand on their legs. They grow rapidly and in about two weeks can be seen.
Two eagle nests visible from along the Chilkoot River each have two eaglets that are molting from their grey downy fuzz to dark juvenile plumage. They are sticking their heads out of the nest now. Eaglets gain about 12 pounds in their first 90 days.
Al Gilliam has a mystery at his house. His swallows have disappeared. He had large numbers for years but in the last three years, their numbers have dropped, he said. He wonders about an increase in squirrels. Three years ago, people reported large numbers of mice, voles and squirrels. Squirrels will raid bird nests, and they’re skilled climbers and jumpers. The decline in Al’s swallows matches the rise in his squirrels. Al followed the squirrels and found 40 in one tree. Dick and Julie Folta at Lutak also reported a decline in Stellar’s jays and an increase in squirrels. There’s quite a bit of discussion among researchers about whether squirrels can harm bird populations. The jury is still out, but observations by residents are suggestive.
One more drama for this month: orcas. Typically we see a few sightings of lone orcas hunting seals and sea lions in upper Lynn Canal. These are wandering transients. Another type, called residents, eat salmon, and tend to travel in pods and stay in the same general area. At least three different pods of orcas have been spotted in Lynn Canal in recent weeks. One pod has a male with a distinctive, large dorsal fin. Are they going to stay or are they just vacationing? Time will tell.